Should we talk to Iran? The U.S. has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since the Hostage Crisis of 1979 (holding the diplomatic staff hostage is generally not conducive to good relations) and the U.S. has used intermediaries ever since rather than risk sending personnel to a country where citizens still routinely gather to chant […]
The New York Times reported today that a resurgent Taliban is staging new and daring attacks in Afghanistan (9 Americans Die in Afghan Attack): This year of the Afghanistan war is already proving to be the deadliest since the American-led invasion. Bush administration officials are now considering a redeployment of troops to Afghanistan from […]
Thanks to Steven Corman for his insightful response to my recent post about Undersecretary Glassman's remarks about the “War of Ideas” (WoI). He made some very good points. But I am disheartened by the argument that there is no way to changes people's attitudes about the US unless we change our policies. Changing our policies is no doubt the way […]
Thanks to my fellow blogger for bringing up the newly-confirmed Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy (PD) James K Glassman's remarks at the Washington Institute for Middle East Policy (view video here). Clearly Glassman will be a more than competent placeholder until the next administration names its own Public Diplomacy czar. But some elements of his remarks […]
(Bush and Singh at the G-8 Meeting this week in Tokyo) The biggest headline emanating from this week's G-8 summit in Tokyo had nothing to do with poverty alleviation, or climate change. Rather it had to do with negotiations between President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about a nuclear deal three years in the making. Referred to as […]
Did you know that the U.S. State Department has a blog? It's called DipNote (short for diplomatic note) and according to the “About” page the blog, “offers the public an alternative source to mainstream media for U.S. foreign policy information. This blog offers the opportunity for participants to discuss important foreign policy issues with senior […]
Iran continued a military exercise today that demonstrated both an offensive and defensive capability to the region and to the U.S. (Washington Post -Iran Launches Another Test Missile, Draws Rebuke From Rice): Citing broadcasts on state-run Iranian television, the Associated Press reported out of Tehran that the country had continued an ongoing military exercise […]
For those of you still in a patriotic mood after the Independence Day holiday, how would you like to read a speech given by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams on July 4, 1821? The American Diplomacy website provides a review and a link to the text of the speech. I thought the speech was […]
Former Secretaries of State James A. Baker III (1989 to 1992) and Warren Christopher (1993 to 1997), wearing their hats as the co-chairmen of the National War Powers Commission, authored an op-ed in the New York Times yesterday, arguing on behalf of the findings of their commission's recent report. They write: “The most agonizing decision we make […]
After a long pause, there is activity once again on the front lines of America's official public diplomacy. Part of this is a seasonal phenomenon — every summer, the little-known U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy issues a report with recommendations, usually appealing for more resources for the State Department's public diplomacy operations. But this […]
José Maria Peredo Pombo, a professor of International Relations at the European University in Madrid, penned an opinion piece about Senator Obama in the online journal “Forum For A Safe Democracy.” In the piece titled “The Multipolar World of Barack Obama,” Pombo gives a historical take on past American Presidents who have tried to affect change: “To […]
I’d like to recommend one of my favorite foreign policy blogs. FP Passport is a group blog by the editors of Foreign Policy magazine. They describe themselves as: Equal parts scout and translator, we draw on the world's leading journalists, thinkers, and professionals to analyze the most significant international trends and events of our times, […]
Former Ambassador Chas Freeman addressed the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC last week. The title of his talk: “America In the World: Magoo at the Helm.” His remarks provide a sobering, yet extremely important account of the changes afloat in the international realm. I’ll let the Ambassador speak for himself. “A great many governments abroad now fear that Washington […]
As I prepare to depart for my Independence Day holiday, I’ve been giving some thought to what I could post that would be appropriate for the holiday, something celebrating democracy and liberty. The U.S. has contributed much to the world, far more than can be listed in this space, but perhaps it is those […]
I will be on vacation for the majority of July, so I thought I would leave you with a few timely resources on foreign policy and the US Presidential campaign. 1) Senator Chuck Hagel (R, NE), as part of his recent book tour, spoke at the Brookings Institution last week about “U.S. Foreign Policy and the […]